Rail bond



' May 28, 1929. CRAWFORD 1,715,190

RAIL BOND Filed Apiil '7, 1926 FIG. 1 FIG. 2

' I Will-W INVENTOR Patented May 28, 1929.

STATES e TENT FFICE- DAVID L. onawronn, or OAKMONT, ri'inusvrivarrra, Assrenon To [VERONA root worms, or PITrsBURGI-r, PENNSYLVANIA, A conronarrou or rEnnsYLvANrA.

RAIL 3on1).

Application filed April 7, 1926. Serial No. 100,314.

The present invention'relate's broadly to.

the art of railways,- and more particularly to bonds adaptablefor use therewith for establishing an effective connection for the transmission of electric current between adjacent rail ends.

It has heretofore been proposed in the art to which the present invention relates to pro vide rail bonds of resilient material, such as spring steel, adapted to be clamped in position between the webs ofthe rail ends to be bonded and the fish plates or splice bars ordinarily utilized for'completing the joints. Such bonds havenot infrequently comprised a body of suitable material curved both longitudinally and transversely throughout the length and'width thereof.

In actual practice, I have found that while the transverse curvature provides effective rail engaging points and the longitudinal curvature imparts the desired resiliency, the combination of such curves is objectionable from a practical standpoint for the reason that the transverse curvature not only limits the area of contact between the bond and fish plate or splice bar, but also tends to impose localized strains on the bond, not infrequently resulting in fracture thereof.

It is one of the objects of the present in-v vention to provide a rail bond having effective rail engaging points, but obviating the objections involved in the use of the limited area of contact with the fish plates or splice bars. This is preferably accomplished by so constructing the bond as to provide a substantially fiat intermediate portion for coop. eration with the fish plate which bears against the bond, and serving not'only to more effectively distribute the strains throughout the body of the bond, but to considerably decrease the permanent set which has heretofore resulted from a clamping action to which the bonds are subjected.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of my invention as changes in the construction disclosed therein, as well as its manner of use, may be made without departing either from thespirit of the invention or the scope of my broader claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a rail .joint showing my improved track bond in position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the con-- struction illustrated in Fig.1, one of the fish platesbeing removed for the sake ofcle'arness and the section; v Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bond;

7 Fig. 4' is a longitudinal sectional View through the bond at substantially the center portion thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse line V'V of Fig. 4;, looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference more land 2 of the drawings,

particularly to Figs.

adjacent rail sections 2 and?) having the oint I there is shown a portio'n ofa track oint, thedrawings indicating clamping bolts being shown in sectional view on the between them bridged in well-known manner by fish plates or splice bars 4.

Between the center bolts5, provided for holding the fish plates in position, there is suflicient room in all standard joints with which I am familiar to permit the insertion of a bond embodying the features of the present invention, irrespective of whether the actual distance between the centers of these bolts is long or short. In the drawings there is actually indicated a bond 6 intermediate these bolts, the bond comprising a relatively long and narrow strip of suitable material, such as spring-steel, the edge portions 7 of which are substantially-uniformly and continuously longitudinally curved as shown in Fig. 3.

contact. The intermediate. portion of the the desired electrical The end portions 8 of the bond are curved bond is shaped to provide a substantially flat,

zone 10 of considerable area, this zone providing a comparatively large area of contact between one of the fish plates and the bond, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By reason of this zone, the existence of highly localized strains in the bond, due to tightening of the nuts 11, is prevented, and the strains distributed throughout substantiallythe en-,

tire area of the bond.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that a bond constructed as disclosed herein has a less overall height than bonds which are uniformly curved both transversev ly and longitudinally throughout the entire length. The bondinay, therefore, initially be used with joints in which there is a minimum space between the insides of the splice bars and the adjacent faces of the rail webs, Due to this construction, the insertion of the bond is facilitated. Furthermore, when compression becomes effective on the bond, the

of the advantages of the present invention.

A further advantage of the invention arises from theprovision of a bond havlng both a longitudinal and transverse curvature in its I end portions with a substantially flat intermediate port-ion whereby the permanent set taken by the bond is reduced to a minimum.

I claim a 1. Asan art1cle of manufacture, a rail bond com risin abod ofs rin material havincr D i 2: r;

a central portion substantially flat in both transverse and longitudinal section, which provides a relatively long and broad bearing surface for engagement with one element, and having arc'uate shaped end portions, to form relatively sharp corners for engagement with another element.

2. As an article of manufacture, a rail bond having a relatively long and wide substantial ly fiat intermediate zone-for an engagement with a surface of an element'to be bonded, and having transversely curved ends, to provide four relatively sharp corners for engage- 40 ment with surfacesof; other elements to be bonded.

'3. As an article of manufacture, a rail bond having end portions curvedtransversely and longitudinally, to provide, four relatively sharp corners for engagement with surfaces of elements to bebonded,'and connected by an intermediate relatively long and. wide substantially flat portion, for engagement with a surface of another element to be bonded.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto-set my hand. v v

7 DAVID L. CRAWFORD. I 

